Tortoises are having it away and Jack gives them room to manoeuvre

[esteven]

On a walk of this kind in the Mediterranean islands he usually saw tortoises, which he did not dislike at all - far from it - but they seemed rare on Gozo, and it was not until he had been going for some time that he heard a curious tock-tock-tock and he saw a small one running, positively running across the road, perched high on its legs; it was being pursued by a larger tortoise, who, catching it up, butted it three times in quick succession: it was the clap of the shells that produced the tock-tock-tock. 'Tyranny,' said Jack, meaning to intervene: but either the last blows had subdued the smaller tortoise - a female ? or she felt that she had shown all the reluctance that was called for; in any case she stopped. The male covered her, and maintaining himself precariously on her domed back with his ancient folded leathery legs
he raised his face to the sun, stretched up his neck, opened his mouth wide and uttered the strangest dying cry.
'Bless me,' said Jack, 'I had no notion . . . how I wish Stephen were here.' Unwilling to disturb them, he fetched a cast quite round the pair and walked on, trying to recall some lines of Shakespeare that had to do not exactly with tortoises but with wrens...

(chapter 2)

This charming scene has it all: tortoises, Jack yearning for Stephen and sex. ;D

Comments

[heather_mist]

Lovely!

I think you may have faced a translation problem though 'fetched a cast round them' in this case does not mean 'build a screen or shelter' but 'walk past in a wide circular path'(as in casting a fly)presumably so that he doesn't startle them with his presence in their post-coital bliss. Which is very sweet of him...

[esteven]

:D Somehow I felt that Jack was mildly embarrassed as soon as he realized what the tortoises were up to.

*nods*
It is indeed sweet of him.

Thank you; will correct the mistake

[heather_mist]

I think Jack is always mildly embarrassed by the thought of anyone/anything else having sex. Which is in itself hilariously ironic given the frequency with which he finds himself in that situation.

(And of course, your icon is just perfect for this entry - there could not be a better.)

[feroxargentea]

But then he doesn't have to think about it, just do it. Which he has no problem with *g*

[esteven]

Jack is so cute when he's embarrassed. :D

*g*
I have always loved those two tortoises, one looking adoringly to the tortoise with it's little hat athwartships. They could be re-incarnations of Jack and Stephen ;D